The Eurometropolis takes students on a tour of the European Parliament
On 24 March, a class of French 1ère pupils from the Lycée Montebello in Lille and a Flemish secondary V class from the Provinciaal Technisch Instituut (PTI) in Kortrijk met for a tour of the Parliament and Parlamentarium in Brussels.
After a formal presentation on how the European Parliament works, we went to meet Saskia Bricmont, a Member of the European Parliament, for a chat in the Chamber. This was an opportunity for the students to ask a series of questions, both in Flemish for the French class and in French for the Flemish class.
The day continued with a visit to the Parlamentarium, the museum of the European Parliament. Pupils were able to discover the history of the European Parliament, put faces to MEPs thanks to an interactive wall, and discover the life stories of European citizens.
The day ended with a meeting with Gaetan Poelman, Flanders' general representative to the European Commission. During a discussion with the pupils, he explained his duties and the importance of cross-border issues and bilingualism in his job. Once again, the pupils rose to the challenge of asking questions in the language of their neighbours!
The Agence de l'Eurométropole is preparing a pilot project for the 2025-2026 school year in collaboration with three local schools. The aim is to enable the young citizens of the Eurometropole to acquire a knowledge of the European institutions and the workings of the world around them.